SC initiates contempt proceedings against BJP govt in Madhya Pradesh
The Supreme Court of India Wednesday August 05, 2026 initiated contempt proceedings against the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over its decision to halt the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's sealing drive to clear illegal commercial establishments operating from residential areas
Bhopal: The Supreme Court of India Wednesday August 05, 2026 initiated contempt proceedings against the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over its decision to halt the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's sealing drive to clear illegal commercial establishments operating from residential areas.
Hearing the matter, a SC Bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan expressed strong displeasure over the state's decision, observing that the government could not stall enforcement of the Supreme Court's earlier directions through an administrative committee.
Case Details
The controversy stems from the state government's August 2 decision to form a 10-member committee to examine occupancy violations in Bhopal's built-up areas and recommend a policy framework to balance environmental concerns and public interest.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and attended by Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal, Ministers Vishwas Sarang and Krishna Gaur, MLAs Rameshwar Sharma and Bhagwandas Sabnani, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Sanskriti Jain, Bhopal Collector Priyank Mishra and other senior officials.
The committee was tasked to examine compliance with the Supreme Court's directions in Civil Appeal No. 14604/2024 and Miscellaneous Application Diary No. 17103/2026.
The government had stated that the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) would take further action only after the committee submitted its recommendations and the state finalized the procedure.
During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel argued that the committee had effectively restrained the BMC from continuing the sealing drive.
Responding to the submission, the Bench remarked that if the government wished to conduct a study, it was free to do so, but preventing enforcement amounted to "an absolute collision" with the Court's orders.
The Supreme Court also directed the Jabalpur High Court to vacate three interim stay orders that had restrained action in related matters.
It granted the Madhya Pradesh government five weeks to submit its report and fixed the next hearing for September 15, 2026.
Arera Colony resident Vivek Tripathi welcomed the order, saying it would revive the sealing drive and strengthen action against illegal commercial activities in residential neighborhoods across Bhopal.
"BMC Submits False ATR"
Meanwhile, BMC allegedly submitted a false Action Taken Report (ATR) before the Supreme Court regarding its sealing drive against illegal commercial establishments operating in residential areas of the city. The BMC informed the apex court that nearly 100 establishments were sealed during the drive.
However, ground verification found that only two establishments were actually sealed, while the remaining properties were merely shut voluntarily.
The BMC had issued notices to 1,018 establishments in Bhopal for running commercial activities in residential areas. When the sealing drive began on August 1, only two properties in Rohit Nagar - a tattoo studio and Raj Mahal Hotel - were sealed by the civic body.
The other 99 establishments had closed voluntarily but the ATR submitted by the BMC showed them as having been sealed.
After the Madhya Pradesh government constituted a 10-member high-level committee to examine the issue, these establishments began reopening.
On August 4, when the Supreme Court hearing was underway, the situation in several affected areas had returned to normal with shops in Rohit Nagar and Arera Colony operating despite earlier directions to remain shut.
An inspection carried out found that the locks placed on both sealed establishments had been removed. The side doors of the properties were found open on Tuesday, while the seals were found broken on Wednesday morning, shortly before the Supreme Court hearing.
Anshul, manager of Raj Mahal Hotel, said the management reopened the premises after receiving assurances from local leaders that markets would be allowed to function and no further action would be taken by BMC.
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